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Sigatoka attacks Pomeroon farmers

Feb 10, 2011 News

Farmers living in the Lower Pomeroon area, are complaining of being severely affected by the black and yellow Sigatoka.
The deadly disease, farmers said, preys primarily on both the plantain and banana crops.
The disease which is transmitted through the air is said to resist known pesticides. Farmer, Rudolph Garraway, lamented his frustration about the new disease. Being a farmer, himself, Garraway said that he noticed his plantains and bananas plants showing signs of the disease.
According to Garraway, he continues to monitor his crop and has noticed changes in the leaves of his plantain plants.
“All of the farmers are affected by this disease and are further thrust into an unfortunate position of not knowing what next to do since farming is their only means of livelihood.”
Garraway said that other farmers who live at Hackney, Friendship, have lost huge acreages of their crop and are extremely frustrated about not having control over the disease.
Another affected farmer, Duke Marlborough, has lost 20 acres of both plantains and bananas to the yellow Sigatoka, which is the most prevalent.
Marlborough, who cultivates on a large scale, said that he and other farmers, including Glenrick Marlborough and Andrew DeFreitas, all in the Lower Pomeroom area, have been affected by this disease since last year.
“All of my plantain and banana plants have been destroyed because of this disease. The leaves become yellowish, which eventually hampers the growth of the young crop. It’s really frustrating and we do not
know what to do at present.
Garraway said a team from the National Agricultural Research Institute visited the affected farmers earlier in January and distributed pesticides. The team even sprayed the damaged crop, but the problem remains, Garraway said.
He added that the application of the pesticides was not effective and further because of a non functioning boat that has since broken down, agricultural officers have not revisited farmers in the Pomeroon.
The disease is also prevalent in the North West District and Supenaam area.

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